Reckless Disregard

Former topnotch attorney Parker Stern, still crippled by courtroom stage fright, takes on a dicey case for an elusive video game designer known to the world only by the name of “Poniard.” In Poniard’s blockbuster online video game, “Abduction ,” a real-life movie mogul is charged with kidnapping and murdering a beautiful actress who disappeared in the 1980s. Predictably, the mogul–William “the Conqueror” Bishop–has responded with a libel lawsuit. Now it’s up to Parker to defend the game designer in the suit.

In defending Poinard, Parker discovers that people aren’t who they claim to be and that nothing is as it seems. At one point, his client resorts to blackmail, threatening to expose a dark secret about Parker. Then, many of the potential witnesses who could have helped the case die prematurely, and the survivors are too frightened to talk. Parker begins to feel as if he’s merely a character in a video game, fighting malevolent Level Bosses who appear out of nowhere and threaten to destroy him.

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Praise for Reckless Disregard

“Endless novelties, endless twists, endless complications, endless surprises in and out of the courtroom. Whatever you read legal drama for, it’s here, along with a whole lot of other stuff you never thought to ask for.”
– Kirkus Reviews STARRED review

“Who murdered troubled Hollywood starlet Felicity McGrath? Who, indeed. The answer to that question is sure to keep readers guessing and glued to the edges of their seats until the final page of Robert Rotstein’s Reckless Disregard. The plot is ingenious; the writing, top-shelf. If you like your mysteries smart and provocative, this book’s for you.”
– David Freed, award-winning journalist, author of the Cordell Logan series

“Outstanding! A mesmerizing mix of legal thriller and murder mystery. Rotstein knows LA law and creates characters both remarkably real and larger than life. The plot is crisp with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Fans of Michael Connelly will love Rotstein’s intimate knowledge of Los Angeles, and Brad Meltzer fans will appreciate the driven pace and witty dialogue. Put Reckless Disregard at the top of your reading list.”
– Robert Dugoni, New York Times–bestselling author of Murder One

“In Reckless Disregard, an online video game is a portal to a world where nothing is as it seems and people are not who they say they are. The second Parker Stern novel is smart, complex, and exciting. This is shaping up to be a great series.”
– Matthew Sharpe, author of Jamestown and The Sleeping Father

“Once again, Robert Rotstein has delivered the goods. Reckless Disregard is fast-paced, rich in character, and provocative, first to last—it has everything you could hope for in a legal thriller.”
– Les Standiford, author of Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Aqueduct, and a Real-Life Chinatown

“The scintillating, twist-filled Reckless Disregard offers a fresh, original, and wholly satisfying take on the legal thriller. Robert Rotstein’s Parker Stern character is a bold and vibrant presence in an overcrowded genre, and Stern’s personal struggles place him on par with Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller as the best courtroom hero going today. Reckless Disregard is Grisham or Turow on steroids, never failing to enthrall and entertain even as it illuminates the often-misbalanced scales of justice. It would be a crime to miss it!”
– Jon Land, bestselling author of The Tenth Circle and Strong Rain Falling